Saddle girth



0. HIWRIGHT SADDLE GIRTH Sept. 13, 1938.

Filed March 23, 1938 lgu INVENTOR. aavzld J11 wrybz' BY @M M KM -14; ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in saddle girths and more particularly to a saddle girth so formed and constructed as to minimize and prevent discomfort and injury to the horse to 5 which it is applied.

Heretofore, the saddle girth has generally consisted of a band of leather or other material adjustably attached by buckles to the girth straps of the saddle, and passing around the body of the horse. The girth ordinarily passes beneath the body of the horse at or near the arms, that is, the area where the forelegs meet the body. Folds of skin in this area and the constant movement of the skin owing to the motion of the 15 horses legs cause the girth to produce a chafed or sore condition at this area.

I have found that, by a special novel formation and construction, I am able to form a saddle girth which, while holding the saddle securely on 20 the horses back, will nevertheless remain clear of the portion of the horses under-body adjacent the arms, and thereby prevent the chafing and galling to which the horse would otherwise be subjected.

25 An object of my invention therefore is to so form a saddle girth that, when holding the saddle securely in place upon the horse, it will never theless obviate any soreness to which the horse might otherwise be subjected at or near the 30 arms.

Other objects and uses of my invention will be clearly understood from the following description and drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side view showing the formation 35 of my improved saddle girth and the relation of its parts to the saddle and the horse.

Figure 2 is a plan view of my improved saddle irth.

g Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the relationship among the various portions of the saddle girth.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 1-4 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to Figure 1, my improved saddle 50 girth l is attached to the saddle 2 by any suitable means as by the' buckles 3 mounted on the chapes 4, the said buckles engaging the girth straps 5 of the saddle 2. The girth I passes beneath the body of the horse 6 at a point sub- 55 stantially away from the arm portions 1 of the horse and thus clears the skin folds which are usually present in the area 8.

The peculiar formation of the saddle girth, which is clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2 ensures that the girth will always be clear of the skin 5 folds in area 8. So that, even when the horse is running fast, movement of the arm portions of the horse or of the folds of the skin adjacent the arms will not be impeded in anyway by the girth, nor Will the girth rub against the arms 10 or adjacent slL'n folds, there thus being no consequent chafing, galling or soreness.

As will be apparent from Figures 2, 3 and 4, the girth l consists of a leather band 9 folded longitudinally to form a plurality of layers, preferably three such layers. A stiff curved member 18 consisting of heavy leather, in the preferred form, is attached to each end of the leather band 9 by stitching I i. In order to make certain that the union between the stiff curved member ID 20 and the leather band 9 will be permanent and, in effect, create an integral girth, the member l0 may be laminar in form; lamination l2 (Figs.

3 and 5) extending down and overlapping the leather band 9; lamination 13 comprising one of the layers or folds of the leather band 9 extended and shaped to constitute one of the laminations of member Ill; and lamination l4 comprising a stiff piece of leather inserted between laminations l2 and I3; the whole assembly being stitched together to form a single member.

Many variations of this formation of the member It will be obvious. Thus, laminations I2 and I4 may be a single piece of stiff leather, 2. portion being skived out to form the extension l2; or lamination M may consist of any suitable stiff material other than leather. A member 10 is, of course, mounted at each end of the leather band 9, and each end of the girth is treated in exactly similar fashion.

The curve or recess I5 of member [0 causes the leather band 9 to pass beneath the body of the horse (of. Fig. 1) at a point substantially further back than would otherwise be possible if the ordinary saddle girth were used, thus preventing any interference by the girth with the movements of the horse and preventing any abrading or chafing effect at the skin folds near the arms 1. The mounting of the saddle upon the horse is 5 thus more comfortable and any injury to the horse by reason of the chafing previously described is obviated.

Chapes 4, as previously described, are attached to the edges of member In and carry buckles 3 to facilitate the attachment of the girth to the saddle.

The girth cannot ride forward to chafe the horse adjacent the arms since the saddle 2 is held in position by the structure of the horses back and the tightening of the girth straps 5 in the buckles 3. And the leather band 9 is held in position away from the arms of the horse by the formation of member H].

In addition, to further ensure that the leather band will remain in its predetermined position, a layer of pipped rubber I6 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) or of other suitable material may be mounted by stitching upon the leather band 9 in the center of that portion of the girth intended to lie against the body of the horse. This rubber layer provides a gripping, non-slip surface, and will prevent any tendency of the leather band 9 to move away from its predetermined position.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A saddle girth comprising a leather band, the ends of said girth being curved, means on such ends of said girth whereby said girth may be attached to the saddle, the curves at the ends of the girth being such that the leather band will pass beneath the body of the horse in a plane posteriorto the portion of the horse at which the girth is attached to the saddle.

2. A saddle girth comprising a leather band, curved members mounted on the ends of said leather band, means on such curved members whereby said girth may be attached to the saddle, such curved members being so formed that, when said girth is attached to the saddle, the portion of each such member carrying the attaching means will be anterior to the portion of each such member attached to said leather band.

3. A saddle girth comprising a leather band, the ends of said girth being curved, means on such ends of said girth whereby said girth may be attached to the saddle, the curves at the ends of the girth being such that the leather band will pass beneath the body of the horse in a plane posterior to the portion of the horse at which the girth is attached to the saddle; and a rubber layer mounted on the surface of the leather band ad- 'acent the body of the horse.

4. A saddle girth comprising a leather band, curved members mounted on the ends of said leather band, means on such curved members whereby said girth may be attached to the saddle, such curved members being so formed that, when said girth is attached to the saddle, the portion of each such member carrying the attaching means will be anterior to the portion of each such member attached to said leather band; the area of the leather band adjacent the body of the horse having a non-slip surface.

5. A saddle girth comprising a longitudinally folded leather band, stiff curved members attached to the ends of said leather band, means on such members whereby said girth may be attached to the saddle, such stiff curved members being so formed that, when said girth is attached to the saddle, the portion of each such member carrying the attaching means will be anterior to the portion of each such member attached to said leather band; and a rubber layer mounted on the surface of the leather band adjacent the body of the horse.

DAVID H. WRIGHT. 

